Mikal Bridges’ scoring has been a gauge of the Phoenix Suns’ offense this postseason.
The way Bridges finds his shots — open catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, transition baskets, timely cuts into unoccupied space — is a harbinger of the Suns’ pace, ball movement and off-ball activity. In the 11 playoff games that Bridges has scored in double figures, the Suns are 10-1. In the six games that he hasn’t reached that mark, the Suns are 3-3.
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That 10-1 record includes Game 1 of the NBA Finals, in which the Suns defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 118-105. Bridges scored 14 points, fourth-most behind Chris Paul (32 points), Devin Booker (27) and Deandre Ayton (22). The performance was tied for Bridges’ third-most points in a game this postseason, and it was the most he scored since Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the LA Clippers.
Bridges can be viewed as an offensive option behind Paul, Booker and Ayton, often scoring on breakdowns or when defenses ignore him to shade over to Paul or Booker or to collapse on Ayton. But the Suns’ lethal pick-and-roll attack is so dangerous, in part, because of the concern and confusion Bridges causes on the weak side with his cutting, screening and spot-up shooting.
“If guys want to sleep on him, he can make you pay,” Booker said. “Teams are going to understand that’s not the guy to leave open, or that’s not the guy to leave in transition, because he will make you pay.”
Bridges has developed into one of the game’s premier 3-and-D wings, an archetype that has grown in popularity and value over the past decade or so. It’s arguably the most coveted role player. Teams can’t have enough 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-9 wings, who can defend multiple positions and knock down open 3s in the postseason. The shorthanded Clippers almost made the Finals without their best player by deploying five wings and guards who could shoot and defend.
Similar to Trevor Ariza, Danny Green, Shane Battier, Andre Iguodala and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — all 3-and-D wings, to varying degrees, on recent title teams — before him, Bridges fills that crucial role for the Suns. He shot 42.5 percent on 3s during the regular season and was a strong candidate for the NBA All-Defense teams. His 3-point shooting has dipped to 35.9 percent in the playoffs, but his defense remains as stout as ever. He’s one of the league’s better wing stoppers.
This is Bridges’ skill set in a nutshell: He strips Jrue Holiday on a drive, igniting a fast break. He doesn’t give up on the play, sprinting at full speed to beat everyone else down the floor and finish a pass from Booker with a layup.
“I know for sure if I’m out, they’re going to find me,” Bridges said. “So I just start running, even if I’m tired.”
Bridges’ scoring output usually means the Suns’ offense is getting out in transition, where he excels due to his unique blend of length, speed and footwork. Bridges led all players with six fast-break points in Game 1. The Suns scored 20 fast-break points, their most this postseason.
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To Bridges’ point, he runs hard. All the time. When this possession starts, Bridges is running the opposite way, toward the Bucks’ basket to crack back for a defensive rebound. He’s the deepest or second-deepest player in the paint, depending on when you pause the clip. Yet, he quickly outruns five players before catching Paul’s pass and gliding by the remaining four for an uncontested, wrong-footed dunk.
“When he’s out in transition playing with his length and his speed, he’s a tough cover,” Booker said.
In general, the Suns play slow. They were 24th in pace in the regular season and are 11th in pace out of the 16 playoff teams. Paul has historically preferred to play slower, dribbling the ball up the floor as he surveys the defense and sets up an intricate half-court action.
But with so many transition weapons — Bridges, Ayton, Booker, Cam Payne, Cam Johnson — the Suns’ coaching staff is pressing Paul to push the pace. In the Game 6 closeout win against the Clippers, Suns assistant coach Willie Green told Paul that he wanted him to cross half court by the 20-second mark on the shot clock.
“They be on me bad about that,” Paul said. “I’m trying to make a conscious effort of making sure we’re playing with the right pace.”
The Suns’ pace is intrinsically linked to its defense, as stops tend to lead to transition offense. For as much attention as the offensive exploits of the Suns’ big three of Paul, Booker and Ayton, Phoenix’s defense has been the strength this postseason. The Suns are 10th in offensive rating and second in defensive rating in these playoffs. Bridges is their defensive star, tasked with handling the best perimeter scorer one through four.
The Bucks scored seven points and shot 3 of 8 with Bridges as the primary defender. The Bucks’ eight shot attempts were the fewest against any of the Suns’ starters. Milwaukee actively sought screens for whichever ballhandler — often Khris Middleton, but sometimes Holiday — that Bridges was defending, hoping that Booker, Paul or even Ayton would switch onto them and Bridges would be neutralized off the ball.
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Bridges held Middleton to five points on 2-of-4 shooting. He spent 45 percent of his defensive possessions defending Middleton. A large portion of the Suns’ defensive game plan leading up to Game 1 was spent coaching Bridges on how to guard Middleton, who has consistently been the Bucks’ go-to shot maker in pivotal moments.
Bridges stuck with Middleton around screens, absorbed contact on drives and used his go-go-gadget length to contest his jumpers. Middleton’s scoring outbursts (he finished with a team-high 29 points) came with Bridges off the floor or switched onto a different Bucks player.
“He’s tough,” Bridges said of defending Middleton. “He’s an unbelievable player. Just trying to make it tough for him. Just doing a lot of scouting and watching film. Just trying to make it tough, knowing his tendencies. I think I did OK (Tuesday). Just trying to make it difficult on him, that’s all.”
Watch Bridges chase Middleton around a couple of cross screens before enveloping Middleton on the catch. He withstands his initial bump on the drive, keeps his right hand up to protect against a shot and then contests Middleton’s fadeaway. This is textbook perimeter defense.
“He had the toughest assignment (Tuesday) in guarding Khris, especially the way Khris had it rolling,” Booker said. “But we have been stressing to him all the time, just make it hard on him. He’s going to make tough shots, but just always be in the right place.”
Bridges is in the right place, more often than not, on both ends. He’s been instrumental during the Suns’ unforeseen playoff run. All of the attention is deservedly on Paul, Booker, Ayton, head coach Monty Williams and general manager James Jones. But Bridges is at the heart of what makes the Suns so difficult to defend and score against. He’s a stellar multipositional defender and a menace as a helper. He’s an elite shooter who will back-cut an unsuspecting defender and leak out in transition. Unless Paul or Booker is going supernova, Phoenix’s runs have Bridges’ fingerprints all over them.
Paul has cemented his already-established place as one of the game’s all-time point guards and players this postseason. Booker has erupted as a bonafide superstar. Ayton is the breakout performer of May, June and now July, resembling a future All-Star and All-NBA candidate. But the future is equally bright for Bridges, the Valley’s unsung two-way stud.
(Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)
Related reading
Slater: How Chris Paul and Suns picked apart Bucks’ switching scheme in Game 1 of NBA Finals
Nehm: Three things we learned about the Bucks in Game 1: Giannis’ health, defensive schemes and Jrue Holiday’s production
Jovan Buha is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Los Angeles Lakers. Before joining the company, Jovan was an NBA editor at ESPN.com. His prior stops also include ESPN Los Angeles, FOX Sports and Grantland. Jovan is a Los Angeles native and USC alum. Follow Jovan on Twitter @jovanbuha
